This year marks the 50th anniversary of child life and music therapy at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick.  

For five decades, generous donor support has helped ensure children not only receive world-class medical care but also the emotional support that makes treatment less daunting and recovery more hopeful. At a time when everything feels unfamiliar, child life and music therapy creates space for confidence, comfort, and even joy.  

How child life therapy supports children and families in hospital  

Child life and music therapists (CLMT) work alongside children and their families, providing personalised support through some of the hardest days of their lives. Powered by philanthropy, these specialist roles transform the hospital journey, offering children tools to cope, play, and thrive in a clinical environment. 

Across Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, CLMTs help children understand their treatment through age-appropriate language, offering distraction during painful procedures and using play and music to help them process fear. These simple but powerful interventions reduce anxiety and restore a sense of choice and control for young patients, so they’re not just being treated, they’re also being seen and heard.

Thanks to philanthropy, some CLMTs specialise in using technology to engage young people in their own care.

“The resources the children at our hospital now have access to is phenomenal. The consoles, virtual reality games and new accessories we now have for our PlayStations instantly engage the patients and marked improvements have been observed by a wide range of clinicians in the realm of patient motivation, both generally and in relation to their treatment goals.”
– Dayna, Child Life Therapy Technology Specialist   

Bringing interactive play to kids with the Magic Carpet projector 

A new innovation this year is the Magic Carpet projector—a portable interactive tool that transforms any floor or wall into a playful space. Children can kick a virtual soccer ball, uncover hidden animations, or simply play alongside siblings from their hospital room. For children who are unable to move freely through the hospital, therapists describe the Magic Carpet as a powerful instrument to build trust, spark imagination and bring moments of normalcy into even the hardest days. 

This article is from the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation Impact Report for the 2025 financial year.